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Exercise on the Beach

May 02, 2018 0 comments

As you hit the beach this summer for some relaxation, consider fitting in a workout as well. Believe it or not, the beach is an excellent place to switch up your fitness routine because it offers a wide-open space, a unique surface, the option for water and land exercise, and beautiful scenery. Exercise on the beach can be both fun and productive. And when you’re done with your workout, you can immediately cool off in the ocean and relax on the sand.

So grab your full figure sports bra and check out some of the best ways to exercise on the beach for any fitness level:

Walking or Jogging: Walking is the original low-impact workout but doing it on the beach makes it even easier on your joints because the sand absorbs some of your weight. Walking and jogging beachside also requires more stabilizing muscles, strength and energy as the sand is constantly shifting beneath your feet.

Skipping and Jumping: You may feel silly skipping and jumping cross the beach but these exercises are better on sand than other surfaces. That’s because your feet sink into the sand, making it more challenging to lift off the ground. The more muscle power required, the stronger you’ll become. Plus, your arms will naturally make larger movements to support the goals of your lower half so your upper body gets in on the action as well.

Yoga: Finding your balance on uneven sand can not only increase the difficulty of your normal yoga routine, it also adds adventure. Plus, as a mind/body exercise, there are few better places on the planet than the beach to make this important peaceful connection.

Water Sports: Surfing, paddle boarding and kayaking all burn mega calories on the beach because they require a ton of upper body strength. From your shoulders and back muscles, to your biceps and triceps, these three ocean activities will keep your arms toned this summer.

Lunges: Lunges are generally terrific for your glutes, quads, calves and core. When you lunge on the beach, however, you’re getting resistance as you push off and you’re challenging all of your muscles to balance in the shifting sand. This slight difference can work your body differently to increase muscle strength and tone.

Biking: Rent a beach cruiser with fat tires and take a ride along the shoreline. Beach biking can work your entire body if you incorporate your arms with handlebar push-ups. Enjoy the scenery as you wheel around for fitness and fun.

Circuit Training: Practice several of the exercises above on the beach in a circuit training routine. You don’t need to be a fitness instructor to come up with circuit ideas. Keep it simple by selecting 5 to 10 moves such as skipping, lunging, running in place, squats, burpees, etc…that you’ll do in a rotation three times each. To remind you of the activity for each circuit, use a stick to write it in the sand. This is a fun one for kids to participate in as well.

This summer, don’t just work hard to get fit for the beach, get fit on the beach too with these ideas for exercise on the beach.